Selector switch



G. H. KLAY 2,561,930

SELECTOR SWITCH 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVE NTOR GEORGE H. KLAY BY OWL (5 9%ATTORN EYS July 24, 1951 Filed Jan. 30, 1948 INVENTOR GE H. KLAY.

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RNEVS ATTO ' July 24,1951 G. H. KLAY SELECTOR SWITCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed Jan. 50, 1948 I 1 1 III.

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5 Wm Y T a 3 MM am T R 0 W B Patented July 24, 1951 SELECTOR swrrcu'George H. Klay, Bluilton, Ohio, assignor to The Triplett ElectricalInstrument Co.

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January :0, ma, Serial No. 5,2112 Claims. (01. zoo-'11) This invention relates to switches, andparticularly to rotary type electrical switches in which a rotatablecollector member is adapted for selectively making contact with any of aplurality of stationary contacts.

Switches of the nature referred to above are often employed inconnection with instruments such as radio tube testersand the like.

Formerly it has been customary to secure the fixed contacts in positionon a suitable insulating member by riveting and then to arrange the discassembly in relationship to a rotary contact'member such that contactbetween a rotary member and the fixed contacts can selectively be made.-

Ordinarily, a suitable detent mechanism is associated with the rotarymember so that it has a plurality of rest positions wherein contact ismade.

One of the principal difllculties encountered in constructing a switchaccording to the prior art is that the assembling of the fixed contactsis a laborious procedure and the arrangement thereof so that they alllie in the proper plane is difllcult to accomplish.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improvedtype rotary selector switch which is at one time easier to assemble thanswitches according to the prior art and which is more inexpensive inthat'it involves less assembly time and labor.

Another object of this invention is to provide an arrangement for arotary type selector switch wherein a certain number of the switchconnections can be made at the time of assembling the switch and thuseliminating external wiring and soldering.

Still another object is the provision of a rotary type selector switchwhich is sealed against the introduction of dirt to the contact chamber.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a rotary typeselector switch wherein the contacts are firmly anchored so that theconnection of wires thereto does not disturb their alignment with eachother.

These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent uponreference to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective view:of a switch constructed according to thisinvention;

Figure 2 is a view looking in at the bottom of the switch shown inFigure 1; v I a Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but looking downfrom the knob end of the switch in Figure l and with the cover plateremoved therefrom;

Figure 4 is a vertical section and is indicated by the lines and 3;

Figure 5 is a plan view showing the member from which the fixed contactsare cut and before assembly of the member with the switch dy;

Figure 6 shows the member including the fixed contacts in assembledposition with the switch dy;

Figure 7 is a view like Figure 6 but showing theilxed contacts separatedfrom each other;

Figure 8 is a sectional view located by the line 8-8 on Figure 7 andshowing how adjacent parts through the switch l-4 on Figures 2 of theswitch body serve to clamp the fixed con-' tacts in position;

Figure 9 is a sectional view indicated by the line 9-4 on Figure 5 andshowing the configuration of the fixed contacts at the point where theyengage the switch body;

Figure 10 isa sectional view indicated by the line I 0-" on Figure 6 andillustrating the appearance of the fixed contacts after they have beenpressed into the switch body; and

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure '7 but showing some of the fixedcontacts connected by the'ring'with which they are formed.

Referring to'the drawings, a switch constructed according to thisinventioncomprises a body consisting of the-parts l0 and I2. Theconstruction of the parts II and I: will be seen in Figures 1 through'4. The part vl0 is recessed'as at H for receiving a rotor l6 and asomewhatpnlarged counter-bore ll surrounds the said recess.

The rotor I6 is adapted for being retained in position in the recess byan annular contact member 20 which is releasably retained in overlappingposition with the periphery of.the rotor by'the spring fingers ortongues 22 thereof which extend through slots 24 spaced around theperiphery of the recess i4.

.The rotor also carries the spring contacts 26 and 28 which are retainedin position by the screws and nuts 30. The spring contact sincludes aresilient finger 32 which rides on the ring 20 and both the contactmembers 2| and 28 include the spring fingers 34 which -tare adapted forengagement with the fixed contacts as will be seen hereinafter. p v

The rim 36 of thebody part I 0 has a plurality of radially extendinggrooves or slots therein as indicated at ll. These grooves or slots arefor,

the purpose of receiving the stationary contacts and at least one of thesaid slots provides a passage for the arm 40 on the fixed contact ringIII by means of which a connection can be made to the ring externally ofthe switch.

According to this invention the body part II is recessed as at l! on theside opposite the recess ll and mounted in the said recess is a notchedindex plate ll. As will be seen in Figure 3 the notched index plate isengaged on opposite sides by the rounded ends of a c-shaped spring 48which has its center part bent out as at llfto fit between a lug 60 andthe periphery of the recess 42.

The arrangement at the middle part of the spring prevents the same fromshifting angularly within the recess 42 and thus accurately locates theindex plate in its several indexed positions.

The index plate is mounted on a shaft 62 which has a fiat blade 54thereon that extends through a rectangular notch 53 in the rotor I6. Itwill be apparent that indexing movements of the shaft will beaccompanied by indexing movements of the rotor.

The shaft and index plate are retained in position by a cover plate 58which is secured to the face of the body part In by the screws in whichextend through lugs on the body parts In and I2 and thus retain theentire switch assembly rigidly together.

Returning to the fixed contact arrangements, thesewill be seen tocomprise a plurality of radially extendin fingers 62, the inner ends ofwhich as at 84 lie in the path or the resilient fingers ll 1 carried bythe rotor, and the outer ends of which are interconnected by a ring 66.

It will be apparent that the entire fixed contact group can be formed inone integral part by a stamping operation. The advantage of so formingthe fixed contacts is that they can be assembled with the switch body asa single piece. The sequence of steps in the assembling of the fixed;contacts with the switch body is illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and '7.

In Figure '5 the stamping member, including the fixed contacts and theirsupporting ring, is

shown. i

In Figure '6 this member is assembled with the switch body as a unit.

ImFigure 7 the ring part of this member has been severed between theindividual contact fingers so that they can have individual wiresconnected therewith.

Inorder firmly to fix the individual contacts to the switch body anintermediate portion of each finger, that is the portion which extendsacross the rim of the switch body, is formed to a nonplanarconfiguration as indicated at 68 in Figure 9. The width of the portion68 will be seen to be substantially the same as the width of the slots38.

In assembling the fixed contacts with the switch body the fixed contactmember is placed on the switch body with the parts 68 of the individualfingers of the member resting in their corresponding slots 38.Thereafter pressure is applied to the fixed contact member and it isdeformed into the position indicated in Figure 10. 'The deforming of thecontact fingers causes themto spread laterally and thereby to dig intothe side walls of the slots 38 and to hold the said fingers tightly inposition. Thereafter the body part I! is assembled on the body part IIIand this additionally serves to clamp the fingers in position. Thesevering of the ring 56 between the contact fingers may be carried outat the same time the said fingers are pressed into their slots 38 ifdesired,'or this operation may be carried out after the switch has beencompletely assembled.

As shown in Figure 11 some of the contact fingers may be leftinterconnected as indicated by the partial ring at 10 which is notclipped from the contact fingers. This permits certain connectioris tobe made between the fingers without the use of wire and solder andmaterially reduces the time of installation of the switch in the circuitwith which it is used.

It will be apparent that the clamping together of the body parts 10 andI: not only serves to tighten and hold the contact fingers in properposition relative tothe body part so that the rotary contacts willproperly engage each and every one thereof, but also serves to excludedust and dirt from the contact chamber formed by the recess andcounter-bore in the body part 10 and the recess 12 in the body part l2.

One advantage incident to the clamping action of the body parts on thecontact fingers is that bending of the said fingers externally of, the

switch when connections are made thereto, does not change the positionof the inner end of the contact finger. This is a distinct advantageover the usual types oimounting for contact fingers which are such thatbending of the fingers any-' where will bring about shifting of allother parts thereof.

The switch illustrated in the drawings is a single deck switch, but itwill be apparent that as many decks could be employed as desired. Asbest seen in Figures 4 and 8 the body part I! is also recessed andcounter-bored as at 14 and I6, respectively, in the same manner as thebody part 10 is recessed and counter-bored at ll and I8. Thus, ifdesired, a rotor could be mounted in the recess 14 and a contact ringmounted on the face of the body part l2 and clamped thereagainst bystill another body part.

In a double deck arrangement of this type a single detent mechanism issumcient so that all that would have to be added to the body part I!would be the rotor, the fixed contacts, and a closure or clamping membersuch as another body part. It will be evident that as many decks as werenecessary could be built up in this manner and that each of the saiddecks would retain the advantages set forth in connection with thesingle deck switch illustration.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modificationin order to adapt it to diflerent usages and conditions and,accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within thisinvention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a switch; a body of electrical insulating material having ashouldered recess therein, a rotor also of insulating material rotatablymounted in the shouldered part of said recess, a stationary contact ringmounted in said recess and releasably secured in position by resilientmembers which extend through slots in said body member parallel to saidshouldered recess, said contact ring contacting said rotor periphery insliding engagement to retain the rotor in trapped position betweencontact ring and the shouldered portion of said recess, and a resilientcontact finger secured to said rotor and slidably engaging said fixedstationary contact ring.

2. In a switch; a body of electrical insulating material having ashouldered recess therein, a rotor also of insulating material rotatablymounted in the shouldered part of said recess, a stationary contact ringmounted in said recess and releasably secured in position by resilientmembers which extend through slots in said body member parallel to saidshouldered recess. said contact ring contacting said rotor periphery insliding engagement to retain the rotor in trapped position betweencontact ring and the shouldered portion of said recess, a resilientcontact finger secured to said rotor and slidably engaging the face ofsaid stationary contact ring, and other resilient contact means carriedby said rotor and connected with said finger.

GEORGE H. KLAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

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